WoodyJr

Mike Fields does a nice job for HS sports. But the way I read his article it lacks some clarification. I wish he would have quoted someone actually saying they were going to alter the playoff bracket BECAUSE of Trinity & St X's effect on the public/private debate. He insinuates it. Perhaps that is the extent of what he could get "on the record?"but he basically states it as FACT without substantiating it IMO. Maybe that substantiation is already quoted elsewhere that I'm just not aware of:confused: It seems to me that the Fields article is suggesting that just changing the playoff bracket will headoff the public/private debate in some way. Do others actually think THAT will make any difference in the overall public/private debate? I'm not close to the situation but I don't really see that as having much impact. Mike reported that "Over the next few weeks the KHSAA will crunch the numbers to see how the state's 224 football schools would be aligned into districts in five- and six-class formats and present those findings to the Board of Control in May." I wonder why isnt the 4A "possible" playoff bracket change just another segment of that report? ..because as we have discussed on here there are all kinds of various ideas for classifications and playoff scenarios - right? Is it that Mike is just plain annoyed with the KHSAA and /or Board and/or everyone involved - similar to some BGPers? just asking, Woody Jr

Guru, sorry Ive been out.... I dont have a problem with that at face value. I don't have the enrollment figures in front of me but trust others comments. That at least leans a bit towards my comment about all classes dont have to be exactly the same #. Thoughtful consideration can produce equitable groups IMO - despite what we've seen in the public/private brouhaha. I keep seeing that Coach J and/or others have brought up the disparity in class A. Could someone post or direct me to a list of who those 16 class A schools are, just for [my]curiositys sake? I think if all coaches & schools are consulted and their opinions are listened to then they will go with whatever the consensus is. I agree that MALE enrollment figures is what should be used. Geography and travel distance is still a serious factor (especially for eastern KY teams) If we are leaning towards having everyone (or almost everyone?) in the playoffs then perhaps we can have smaller districts (a max of 4) to allow more flexibility in scheduling local teams or long time rivals [ie, MONEY games - after all, this is a big part of what all this is about right?] On a side note about promoting HS football: I'd love to see some schools get creative and experiment with doubleheaders. Say for example; Ashland and Johnson Central could play against Belfry and Bell Co at Bell Co, then flip flop partners later in the season (or next season) and play at Ashland. If UK is playing at 1:oo on Sat then the HS's could play at 6 & 8 pm. If UK has a night game then the HS games could be played at 11am & 1pm. I THINK a creative setup like this would bring in great crowds & money as well as create a lot of enthusiasm for all the schools & their fans. As far as balancing monies - you can either play multiple double headers per year so everyone could host in odd years, or figure out a payday for visiting teams (like college) oe something else. Just an idea.......... Cheers, Woody Jr

Gosh Rambler, I'll just have to go ahead and agree with you on that last part - no sense causing dissent People may listen to me - but I'm not sure if it's in shock or awe:p I like the new UK avatar. Between that and the emoticons you're just becoming a computer wizard these days;) I can't decide the best playoff scenario. It kinda sounds like one of the factors in the 6 class idea is that the less number of schools in each class will allow for everyone to be in the playoffs. At face value it sounds good but still doesnt seem to address the #1/#4 imbalances. A bye sounds like a good reward but from being around enough coaches I'm guessing they prefer playing each week rather than a bye. I remember one of the few years when Russell was in our district and we both had a bye before the playoffs began (not sure if a lot of the teams did also or not?). I think it bothered the coaches to get out of that routine - but who knows:confused: Cheers, Woody Jr

Hey Mojo, Rather than generalizations, how about just listing the school consolidations that you feel have had problems so we can all evaluate Thanx, Woody Jr

Guru, I love your motive for the ideas put forth - to build enthusiasm and grow the game of HS football in KY. I do respectfully disagree with the generic idea of "so more is better" means we may as well have 6 classses as 5. Theres no reason all classes have to be balanced exactly with the same # of schools - that goes for the largest as well as the smallest class. A little analysis (OK, maybe a lot) of enrollments, geography, common sense could create a new larger classification system of varying numbers. The problem with straight divisions of equal # is exemplified by a list posted previously on BGP. We at Ashland were right on the dividing line, it would result in the closest team in our class being 1 hour away then the next 2 closest teams were 2 hours away, after that who knows. It has nothing to do with competition. Ashland played up competitively for quite a few years in 4A despite having lost numbers years before. Surely a board can be created to review requests by schools who wish to "play up" in classification. Requests would be based on travel, natural & historical rivals, (& maybe something else?) and NOT on creating a competitive advantage. The board can review these requests and make sure districts aren't disrupted or anyone is gaining an advantage. FYI - an earlier thread about # of football classes had 165 votes by BGPers (rounding off the percentages ....): 69 voted for four (4) classes - thats 42% 46 voted for five (5) classes - thats 28% 50 voted for six (6) classes - thats 30% , so 58% voted for an increase I've been for 5 classes (preferring gradual change unless something is broke) which basically would create this 'super" class people have been mentioning. There have been comments about some other schools "getting their act together" to compete against T & X. It seems to me that its as much, if not more, a factor of population and geography situations. Scott Co. has become a power b/c of the influx of people for jobs. Dunbar was created "as a power to be" IMO in a growing area of Lex. while former powers like Bryan Station was losing people left & right. I don't claim to be an expert on all the various regions of the state, but with the invariable consolidations that should only continue, there will only be more and more bigger schools and less & less smaller schools. As an Ashland supporter I know we only get smaller while the county schools all around us basically get bigger. I'm guessing that a school like Danville may be in a similar situation with Boyle Co. (I'm just throwing out some ideas). When I hear people complain about T & X winning titles I think the thing that must be looked at is whether other teams are competitive on the field or if they are being manhandled and don't have a chance. To me there is a big difference between not being able to win the title game versus not being competitive on the field of play. Are they totally dismantling every team they play or are they just finding a way to win every year? Playoffs ? Some folks want every school to be involved. I like the basic idea but it seems to me there are a lot of #1 - #4 games that are a waste of time. I know there are some upsets and competitive games but generally they seem to be uncompetitive. Perhaps I'm offbase & someone could provide stats? on those games. Perhaps to include everyone they could to split districts into more sub-districts (or like idea) so that the playoffs would start earlier and it would be #1 vs. #2 in the an opposite district [i hope I've gotten the idea out there sufficiently for debate]. There are all kinds of creative options; rotating other districts onto regular season schedule and/or playoff brackets, etc. Also, is there anyone out there who would NOT like to see the 1A champs play the 2A champs, the 3A champs play the 4a champs? ...and then you could have those winners play??? :thumb: Hey what can I say - I love football :D :D Cheers, Woody Jr

Frances, Your correct as usual; I misspoke. Cant recall all of em; McKell, Wurtland, Greenup, & anoither mayber ????? Woody Jr

The FumbleRooski is Dead ! http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/news/story?id=2407322 :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: Woody Jr .... still hating those new OSU jerseys :cry:

Good Topic as well as the direction this discussion is going re; "proper" throwing related to age. I'm guessing as the season heats up we'll have lots of threads about this. I disagree that its primarily dads pushing the breaking ball stuff too early. There's always some of the stereotypical "Little League Dads" but in my personal experiences from many youth leagues its often a case of the better players (ie, "arms") being pressured into throwing all these ridiculous breaking pitches by their coaches - and especially related to all star competition [which seems to start now at about age 6 :irked: ] Too many parents are not educated enough about the issue (other than anecdotal stuff from people they know) to stand their ground, so to speak, when their kid wants to throw it, coaches keep showing it to them or suggesting/asking/telling them to throw it - IF they want to be a "pitcher". Young kids should be taught proper mechanics, location, and change of speed. The so-called authorities out there pushing this junk on kids really tick me off. Cheers, Woody Jr ....still hating those new OSU jerseys :cry:

Perhaps some admins are leary of the insurance issue in this type competition? Woody Jr ..... still hating those new OSU jerseys :cry:

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: I know, he was a classic - he always acted like he didnt know how his team could ever hope to compete. He made Lou Holtz look like a amateur in the field of "fertilization" Woody Jr

Wow here's a long time Ashland fan who had nothing but respect for coach P. I just loved how he pooh poohed his teams chances everytime the press interviewed him and then they would come out & do great :thumb: His class & style will be sorely missed :cry: Woody Jr

As an Ashland fan I've enjoyed following this threads discussion of speed, size, nutrition, etc. I'm a pretty big guy who conversely usually always had the smaller quicker youth football teams that won. (NOT bragging b/c good players make good coaches) I believe in large part it's a trickle down effect from the influence of the college games explosion on an emphasis of speed. Anecdotaly(sp?) I'll use Miami & Florida State as a point of reference. Nebraska (rightly considered the strongest team around) got whipped by the speed from Florida and things changed. It wasn't just some receivers & DB's, now even the Big 10/11 conference pines for lightening quick Def Tackles. The approach to the game is completely different IMO and I think the rise in popularity and quality of KY HS football & it's players is partly due to this also. I think we are seeing the influence of talented coaches who recognize this approach and are completely changing the face of KY HS football (not to be overly dramatic:rolleyes: ) Our new coach in Ashland, Leon Hart has made a noticeable change towards speed players at EVERY position. We still have a great strength training program with coach Tony Love, et al. (witness some of the numbers posted in that thread). NO offense to any other coaches but it's much different than the days for example when our TB was made to do squats, etc till he was bulked up & was slower as a senior IMO. Highlands has always had a great program and in todays electronic age the kids in even the smaller less isolated communities are exposed to all the necessary factors to become the best they can be - IF they decide to pursue it :thumb: Cheers, Woody Jr .... still hating those new OSU jerseys :cry:

or you could call it a "racket" Woody Jr .... still hating those new OSU jerseys

I think its very fair to say Russell has a great shot at a perfect season & thats probably whats motivating coach McGlone & his staff [perhaps some could comment WITHOUT the usual "we ALWAYS try for a perfect season stuff;) ] We will get a look at Belfry when they play Ashland early on and there hasn't been much crowing from No. KY 2A, so Russell should be a virtual lock to get back to the pizza box this year. However many good teams there are in the west (If ANY are as good as Russell) only one (1) can survive to face Russell in the end. The toughest competition till then is probably their 3 neighbors: Greenup Co, Boyd Co & Ashland. As a Tomcat fan I think that will be their toughest game due to: - the closeness of & ending of last years game - a "comparison factor" issue b/c Ashland & Belfry will have just played each other (I THINK both games are both close to each other) - and with each successive season in HS ball, coach Hart is only going to become a even greater HS football coach :thumb: (NO knock on any others) So Russell should be ranked #1 or 2 all season. just remember ...... "heavy wears the crown" Cheers, Woody Jr .... still hating those new OSU jerseys

Don Gullett - yes, that Don Gullett of Cincinnatti Reds pitching fame was a star in EVERY sport at the old Greenup High School (now consolidated into Greenup Co). When he played against Ashland I'm pretty sure he Ran, Threw & Caught multiple touchdowns as well as kicking multiple Field Goals and Extra Points. Of course they still lost to the mighty Tomcats Hopefully someone with the precise stats will get on here and give the exact totals. It was a real high scoring game and I'm thinking Don held the single game scoring record until the era of huge passing numbers(I might be wromg on that last part?) Anywho, it's nice to remember the days of talented athletes who were allowed to play every sport, became a famous pro athlete, and is still a friendly, down home person who lives/hangs out like a regular person in his hometown. Gosh I sound like an old foggy, oh well. Cheers, Woody Jr ...still hating those new OSU jerseys :cry:

Enjoy the festivities. Look up coach Randy Ward, the director. He is/was a rather short stocky fella;) - when he was @ Greenup & started this game years ago. Maybe you can brainstorm some ideas for next year:thumb: Cheers, Woody Jr

Hey Big Jim, Relax I've contributed money to various players over the years in various sports to help cover their "entrance fees". In my experience most every player has solicited funds like this or a booster just pays their way. If you'd like to rant at someone, perhaps you could aim at corporate or business entities - who seldom have anyone asking them for money;) Or perhaps the shoe companies - they aren't self serving in the select teams they sponsor are they? If you are knowledgable in running events such as this you're no doubt aware of the large number of expenses involved just to get it up & running, facilities, people, logistics, ...aaargh :scared: and finally, if not enough people show up to support it then what do you do? My point is - it's easy to complain, but I find that hard to do when someone is just doing it to help promote youngsters opportunities Hope you attend and take a BIG crowd with you :thumb: Cheers, Woody Jr

Thanks for setting me straight on coaches/schools :thumb: but I wouldnt necessarily say they don't like basketball getting pub. I recall one year where they were state runnersup in football, baseball and at least top 4 in basketball. They just like to win. Now don't think about soccer or something that would compete with football.:fight: I could see a coach not staying there due to "personality" issues though. Cheers, Woody Jr

Touche, Frances You hit the "nail on the head" - AGAIN, so to speak :laugh: :laugh: It's called "The Hammer Theory" If you give a child a hammer, suddenly everything looks like a nail. :eek: and therefore gets pounded & pounded & pounded & ..... As we have previously discussed, the toolbelt for a LOT of folks still only includes a hammer :sleep: Cheers, Woody Jr thanks for the PM

Franny is right on top of things ... uhm, in a metaphorical matter of speaking that is Yeah, the thread question was currently coaching in KY? and PG noted those guys former schools but didnt clarify their current status. Frances likes to keep you guys straight. Now me being even more anal retentive than the Queen Bee, I will add that Zornes is @ Ironton, OH where they were runners-up to Mayo Inc. last year and Ward is @ Portsmouth, OH uh.. West I believe. He started & still heads up the KY-OH allstar game now at Thomas Moore. Cheers, Woody Jr

It sounds like quite a few agree that KY HS basketball talent is down. What does that say about the effects of the incredible explosion of year round play with AAU & similar competition? Kids are basically committing to one sport year round to become great and this is the result? Does that mean it's just either you have natural talent or not? Are kids deluded by the allure of select/travel teams, etc. into thinking that they are super talented? I can't seem to shake a concern that the whole dynamic of basketball participation & competition has changed because of this. Lets face it, there is a huge bribery, but_ kissing, and individualistic style component involved. There have been comments here about style of play; is teamwork that hard to instill? Is HS coaching worse? Is there a compatibility problem between style of play between HS play & year round ball? Is there a "pull" on dedication/committment between HS and AAU coaches? I think KY HS football has made an incredible leap in terms of talent. Why does that have to be mutually exclusive of basketball being good? Are kids having to committ to year round basketball instead of being multi-sport competitors during their formative years? A little research will reveal a long list of professional athletes who were better in something else during HS or just not that exceptional period in HS. Cheers, Woody Jr

OK, now we're getting to the part I like - How it applies to being a FOOTBALL PLAYER. I've known guys whose focus is competitive power lifting and thats great. I would not at all argue that totals put up at competitions needing 2 out of 3 judges approval are usually less than what one coach @ the school gives the OK on. It's no rap on the coach or the lifter - it's just a whole different environment & situation. Actually I'd encourage players to grab a couple friends & go register for a competition somewhere just to have the experience - I think it may help your focus in daily lifting. I congratulate all the high numbers listed here, but I also congratulate all the youngsters working hard to achieve "their" best number. As a fan of Ashland I'm very confident that the coaches there have an allaround first class program in place. Football is much more than total dead weight you can move - I've never seen 300lbs in dead weight lined up across from anyone. OK, well I've seen some guys who "looked" like dead weight. Explosiveness & speed are important also and hopefully youngsters out there are working as hard at those drills their coaches have them working on. I'm very happy that Ashland has rejuvenated their wrestling program [Kudos to coach Love - also strength coach extraordinare:ylsuper: ] If it were me Id make every football player wrestle, at least recreationally, to better understand the component of football that "might" be more important than weightlifting (I'll pause while the crowd gathered collects their breath:lol: ) - it's Leverage !!!! ...invariably a wing T coach can give you a nice tutorial about leverage;) Thanks to all for the great discussion on this thread. :ylsuper: Cheers, Woody Jr P.S. keep working Cats - remember it's not just the top lifter thats important, a team is only as strong as it's weakest link [i absolutely don't want anyone to think that means the lowest total among our linemen is a weak link, I just used the saying as a team motivator] :thumb: :thumb: :thumb: :thumb: :thumb:

Arrrrgh :irked: Yeah, we shut down that big passing game all game long then coach Ray called a a draw play in OT that just killed us. It was an incredibly tough loss but I think it was the fire that led to the state championship in 1990 :banana: The only (-) about 90 was that Bell beat you guys before we could get to you (not saying we definitely would have beat ya, but we were awfully strong). Then in '91 at your place C. Hutt(RB) was smokin you guys in the 1st quarter (I think we had 3 TD's?) but he got a bad stinger? and they had him on a board & in the ambulance before our coaches knew what was happening. The ballon was popped as he went of to the ER.:eek: Cheers, Woody Jr

I'm curious about the huge rise in AAU & Bribery, er...Shoe Camps involvement by KY kids. I keep hearing how great it is at improving skills and getting kids "seen" but its seems to me that male college worthy basketball players in the state of KY are WAY BELOW what they used to be. Perhaps it's just the very high level that we haven't had as many of? and there are more mid-level talent that are getting a college education from basketball? It seems that KY is becoming more well known for great football players than basketball lately - what do you guys say? Woody Jr

We used to have some exciting games. Maybe the best was the late 80's OT game at Putnam (was it 88?) Lets do it again - except the ending:irked: Woody Jr